NORTHWEST MOTHERS MILK BANK

We envision a region where all babies have access to the human milk they need to grow and thrive. We aim to increase access to pasteurized donor human milk and to protect, support and promote breastfeeding with a specific focus on underserved and culturally diverse populations. We aim to partner with healthcare providers and researchers to advance evidenced-based practice.

Screening - we provide screening for healthy, nonsmoking, breastfeeding women who have more milk than their own baby needs. This screening is comprehensive and involves detailed health histories, medical consent from healthcare providers and a no-cost blood screening. Approximately 10% of our milk donors are bereaved. Our bereavement program supports mothers who wish to donate their milk after experiencing a loss

Milk Collection -Approved milk donors drop-off or ship frozen milk in individual collection containers. We carefully log each donation into a milk tracking software system.

Milk analysis - milk donations are analyzed using a mid-spectrum infra-red analyzer for macronutrient content. This information is provided on the label of each bottle of milk. This helps hospital staff as they create a feeding plan for premature infants.

Milk pasteurization - milk is gently mixed, bottled, and pasteurized using the Holder method of pasteurization. Milk is then frozen and a random sample is sent to an independent lab for testing.

Milk Distribution - safe donor milk is distributed by prescription to infants when their own mother's milk is not 100% available. Milk is distributed to both hospitalized and outpatient infants in Pacific Northwest communities.
Our community care program, Evie's Fund, supports families in need when their compromised baby is released from the hospital with an ongoing medical need.

Community Outreach - we work to raise awareness about milk banking and the importance of milk donation. This outreach includes hosting symposiums, tabling at professional conferences, and planning events to support new families. Over the last two years, COVID safety measures required us to move to the virtual space. Through community partners in both business and nonprofit, we've hosted outreach experiences using video and live social media experiences.

In 2021 we
Since 2020, Northwest Mothers Milk Bank has increased our milk drop partnerships from 39 locations to 46. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, hospitals, clinics and storefronts host Milk Drops. Approved milk donors can drop their frozen milk donations at these Milk Drops where they are temporarily stored in a deep freezer and promptly shipped to the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank for processing. Busy mothers are spared the task of packaging and shipping the donor milk. Milk Drops benefit by promoting the importance of breastfeeding and increasing foot-traffic in their facility.

Based on the belief that every baby deserves access to human milk, a community care program named Evie's Fund was established in 2014. Evie, born with no immune system, was our first recipient of community care. She was hospitalized for the first 10 months of life, enduring two bone marrow transplants. She is now a thriving eight-year-old. Evie’s Fund was established as a resource for families for whom the milk processing fees are a barrier. Through this fund we ensure that families with babies that have medical need can obtain human donor milk, regardless of their ability to pay. Evie’s Fund has grown each year, which has allowed vulnerable infants to receive life-saving donor milk after hospital discharge at no or reduced cost.

Northwest Mothers Milk Bank continues to respond to growth and increasing demand for human donor milk in both hospital and outpatient settings. Since opening our doors in July of 2013, the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank has distributed over 2.5 million ounces of donor milk throughout NW communities. In 2021 alone, we dispensed a record 582,555 ounces of donor milk and granted over $165,000 of assistance to families through Evie's Fund. We approved 846 milk donors, an 86% increase over our first year where we approved 122. We anticipate continued demand for donor milk and financial assistance in 2022. Our goal is to continue to meet that need.

Like other milk banks nationwide, we are experiencing a high demand for human donor milk combined with a decrease of milk donors. We have stepped-up our outreach for milk donors through social media efforts and community partnerships with local businesses and other nonprofits. We've increased staffing for donor screening and streamlined our screening process to shorten the time between the first contact with a potential milk donor to final approval.

In 2021 we increased our hospital-based milk distribution sites from 3 to 5 locations. At these sites, families are able to access donor milk for their infant within their geographic community. Milk distribution sites serve to eliminate the barrier of shipping when the need is immediate. Our goal is to open one more site in Washington during 2022.

COVID-related service changes that we continued in 2021 include: mobile phlebotomy services in many cities in order for potential milk donors to safely have their blood drawn; volunteers offering safe-distancing porch pick-ups of donated milk at donor's homes; and curb-side pick-up for milk for outpatient families and drop-off for milk donors. We will continue these services in 2022.

During 2021, our entire staff participated in a year-long diversity, equity and inclusion training program with consultant Teela Foxworth. We remain committed to ongoing education and learning opportunities for staff and board throughout 2022. In 2022, we will continue to build and grow relationships in our communities with culturally specific organizations that serve communities of color where there is an increased infant mortality and low breastfeeding initiation rates.